Woman job aspirant dies by suicide in Telangana; students stage protest

HYDERABAD : A 23-year-old woman who was preparing for competitive exams allegedly died by suicide at her hostel in Ashok Nagar here, sparking protests by government job aspirants against the BRS dispensation, police said on Saturday. As soon as news of the woman's death broke on Friday night, a large number of students staged protests in the area and raised slogans against the state government.

The agitators also tried to prevent the police from shifting the woman's body to the hospital. TV visuals showed the police dispersing the crowds, though officials denied resorting to lathi charge. A police official told reporters that in the suicide note that was recovered, the woman, Pravallika, had tendered an apology to her parents for being unable to do anything for them. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Zone) M Venkateshwarlu told reporters at a press conference that after verifying the chat history of Pravallika’s cell phone, they found that she was in love with a person and that he is engaged to be married to another woman.

“As per the chat record and after verifying CCTV footage, (we find that) she committed suicide as the boy cheated her and is getting married to another woman. It (suicide) has nothing to do with any other issue,” the official claimed. He further said that based on the outcome of the forensic analysis of the cell phone, the police may slap penal sections relevant to abetting suicide against the man. Venkateshwarlu said Pravallika had been preparing to take government exams to secure a job but that her suicide had nothing to do with the exams. The victim's friends at the hostel said she took the extreme step owing to personal reasons, he said.

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Expressing deep sorrow over Pravallika's alleged suicide, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday sought a report from the Chief Secretary, DGP and Secretary of the State Public Service Commission within 48 hours. According to the police, the woman, who hails from Warangal, killed herself on Friday night due to personal issues. However, the protestors claimed that she had ended her life dejected over not being able to get a job and the postponement of the Group-2 exam by the Telangana State Public Service Commission again. Opposition parties in the state held the K Chandrasekhar Rao-headed government responsible for the death of the young woman.

BJP MP K Laxman claimed on social media platform X that he demanded that the woman's suicide letter be made public but was "arrested". "She was diligently preparing for government examinations for many months. But due to repeated cancellations and postponements of exams by the BRS government, she took the extreme step," he said. The BJP MP sought justice for the woman and also others affected by the "sheer negligence" of the state government.

Congress leader M Anil Kumar Yadav, who also joined the protestors, claimed that the woman ended her life upset over the cancellation of the TSPSC exam twice. He sought a judicial inquiry into the incident and financial assistance for her family. Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy expressed anguish over the woman's death and alleged that the BRS government has failed to conduct recruitment exams properly. Reddy urged the people to help make a success of the 'rasta roko' (road blockade) proposed to be organised today by the Congress and other parties, seeking abolition of the incumbent Public Service Commission members and the appointment of members afresh. The BRS government had earlier too come under fire from the opposition parties over the question paper leak of recruitment exams conducted by the Telangana State Public Service Commission.